Support structure for a telescoping extension in furniture

ABSTRACT

A support structure for the rear rail end of a telescoping drawer slide for a cabinet or furniture piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The invention concerns a support structure for the rear rail end of a telescopic extension in furniture with a horizontal support surface permitting a lateral movement of the rail end, with an upper surface for retaining the rail end and a support plate that can be fastened to a vertical inner wall of the furniture.

II. Description of the Prior Art

In furniture, for example in components of a built-in kitchen, telescopic extensions are used frequently for the accommodation and guidance of drawers to ensure a sufficient and secure guidance of the drawer even for the longest possible extension. The guidance rails of these telescopic extensions have to be fastened to the body of the piece of furniture in such a way that they can, on the one hand, safely support the force which originates at the full length of the extension and a heavy load; on the other hand, the free and smooth movement of the drawers must be ensured even under all occurring stresses and deformations of the furniture.

In furniture in which the essential load-bearing function is assumed by a frontal frame (so-called “face-frame” construction) and in which the attachment is usually done by screwing the rear wall of the furniture to a wall of the building, there is no guarantee, especially because of possible angular tolerances, that the piece of furniture or furniture component precisely retains its rectangular shape after attachment.

Therefore, with furniture or furniture components of this construction type it is not possible to attach the guiding rails of the telescopic extensions by screwing them to the side walls of the furniture. In case of a horizontal deformation, which can occur while screwing the furniture or furniture component to the wall of a building, the guide rails of the telescopic extension would also be displaced in such a way that the telescopic extension would jam.

Therefore, it is known to extend the guide rails of such telescopic extensions to the rear wall of the furniture and to contain them there in a support structure which permits lateral movement of the end of the rail on the horizontal surface of the support structure. Retaining surfaces above prevent the rear ends of the rails from lifting up because of the weight of the extended drawer.

Since the telescopic extensions are considerably shorter than the full length of the extension, which corresponds almost to the length of the drawer, the guide rails of the telescopic extensions of the type currently in use have to be extended to the rear wall of the furniture so that the support structure can be mounted there.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to develop a support structure of the type mentioned above in such a way that it permits a sufficient support of the telescopic extension while having low construction and material costs.

This task is accomplished by the invention in that the horizontal support structure surface and the upper retaining surface are formed by two parallel legs of an elastic loop which projects from the support plate at a right angle.

The rear end of the guide rail of the telescopic extension is located between the two legs of the loop, which are arranged horizontally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when installed, and the end of the rail can move laterally between the two legs of the loop, which legs are disposed parallel to and above each other; in that way the guide rail can align itself laterally with the drawer that can move within the guides.

Since the elastic loop projects from the support plate at right angles, the support plate can be attached to the interior of the side wall of the furniture. Therefore, it is not necessary to extend the guide rail of the telescopic extension beyond the normal length to the rear wall of the furniture. That creates substantial savings of material for the telescopic tension.

Although the side walls of furniture and furniture components built in the “face-frame” fashion usually are made relatively weak, the elastic construction of the loop makes it possible to brace the rail end on a side wall rather than the rear wall as previously done, since the elastic construction permits deformation without excessively stressing the furniture wall or deforming it.

Preferably, the two loop legs are connected by a loop end piece at their ends opposite the support plate. Preferably, the two loop legs and this loop end piece are made of one piece of bent wire. This results in a loop that is easy to produce, but also sufficiently stable and elastic.

In further embodiment of the invention it is envisioned that the two ends of the legs extending toward the support plate project through an opening in the support plate and that at least one of the ends transitions into a vertically angled section of the loop which is accommodated in a vertical groove on the inner side of the support plate.

This results in a very simple, economical way of constructing a sturdy connection of the loop to the support plate which can be made up from a simple piece of sheet metal, for example.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of additional sub-claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

What follows is a detailed explanation of the invention using an exemplary embodiment represented by the drawing. It shows:

FIG. 1 is a simplified representation a horizontal section of a furniture component with support structures at the rear rail ends of the telescopic extension,

FIG. 2 is a view from above of the rear rail end of a telescopic extension with the support structure,

FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 2 and

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIG. 1, in a simplified horizontal section, shows a furniture component in which in body 1 a drawer 2 is extendably moveable. Drawer 2 is guided by two lateral telescopic extensions 3. Each telescopic extension 3 has a guiding rail 4 which is attached to body 1. Each rear rail end 5 is contained in a support structure 6.

Each support structure 6 consists of an elastic loop 7 and a support plate 8 which plate is screwed to an interior side wall 9 of the furniture.

Elastic loop 7, made of wire, has a lower horizontal leg 10 and an upper horizontal leg 11 running parallel to and above 10 with clearance. Both legs project from the support plate at a right angle.

The two loop legs 10, 11 are connected by a loop end piece 12 attached to their ends opposite from support plate 8.

Lower leg 10 provides a horizontal support surface 13 for rail end 5 which permits a lateral horizontal movement of rail end 5.

The underside of upper leg 11 forms an upper retaining surface 14 which prevents lifting of rear end 5 of the rail when the heavy extended drawer 2 creates a force directed upwardly at rear rail end 5. Rail end 5 displays a slanting surface 5a on its under side. That gives the rail end 5 a wedge shape tapering toward the end which facilitates the insertion of rail end 5 between loop legs 10, 11 during assembly.

The two ends of legs 10, 11 directed toward support plate 8 protrude through an opening 15 of support plate B. However, there could also be made two separate openings for the ends of the two legs 10, 11.

At least one of these ends, the end of the upper leg 11 in our example, transitions into loop section 16, which is vertically angled and accommodated in a vertical groove 17 on the inner side of support plate 8. This angled section 16 has an angled, horizontal end pin 18 directed toward inner furniture wall 9 and therefore away from legs 10, 11, and is accommodated in hole 19 of the furniture wall. FIG. 3 shows that the vertical groove 17 expands toward the bottom like a wedge. This improves the capability for elastic deformation by loop 7. Loop section 16 can move away from the wall surface in its lower part in order to facilitate the spring-like motion of legs 10, 11,

In the embodiment described, the inner end of the lower leg 10 likewise forms an end pin 20 which is accommodated in hole 21 in the furniture wall.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art. 

1. Support structure for the rear rail end of a telescopic extension in furniture with a horizontal support surface permitting a lateral movement of the rail end, with an upper retaining surface for the rail end and a support plate mountable to a vertical inner wall of the furniture characterized in that the horizontal support surface (13) and the upper retaining surface (14) are formed by two parallel loop legs (10, 11) of an elastic loop (7) which projects perpendicularly from a support plate (8).
 2. Support structure according to claim 1 wherein said two loop legs (10, 11) are connected by a loop end piece (12) at their ends opposite said support plate (8).
 3. Support structure according to claim 2 wherein said two loop legs (10, 11) and said loop end piece (12) are a unit and consist of a bent wire.
 4. Support structure according to claim 1 wherein said ends of said two loop legs (10, 11) directed toward the support plate (8) project through an opening (15) in the support plate (8) and that at least one of said ends transitions into a vertically angled loop section (16) which is accommodated in a vertical groove (17) on the inner side of said support plate (8).
 5. Support structure according to claim 4 wherein said vertical groove (17) widens toward the bottom like a wedge.
 6. Support structure according to claim 4 wherein said angled loop section (16) has, opposite to the legs (10, 11) an angled, horizontal end pin (18) which can be accommodated in a hole (19) of the furniture wall.
 7. Support structure according to claim 4 wherein said lower loop leg (10) has horizontal end pin (20) which is accommodated in a hole (21) in the furniture wall.
 8. Support structure according to claim 1 wherein a rail end (5) has a slanted surface (5a) on its under side and tapers off toward the end in a wedge shape. 